Along with the single currency and the single market, the free movement of goods and people is one of the greatest achievements of the European Union (EU). In a recent survey conducted in Germany, 72% of respondents said they saw more advantages than disadvantages in Schengen. Interestingly, many EU citizens only learned about Schengen during the Covid pandemic, when border closures were in place, notes German public broadcaster ARD.
The pandemic has put Schengen to the test. And not only that.
Back then, open borders were threatened, and not lightly, says Spanish MEP Juan Fernando Aguilar. As chairman of the Home Affairs Committee at the time, he has repeatedly expressed regret over the policies of member states regarding the coronavirus: "In the European Union, we have witnessed an unprecedented attack on the most valuable asset of European integration - Schengen", the German publication quotes him as saying.
The free movement of people is a fundamental right of Europeans. "And as a parliament, we say that the extraordinary measures unilaterally imposed by member states contradict the Schengen Code," Aguilar added. According to him, Schengen is under threat like never before.
Coronavirus, terrorism, migration: since 2015, the European Commission has registered more than 400 cases of border controls. Friedrich Merz, the most likely next German chancellor, has already spoken out in favor of maintaining border controls at all entry points into Germany.
In exceptional cases and for a limited period of time, such controls could be allowed, explains EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner. "The Schengen Borders Code contains precise guidelines on what is permissible. But in general, the legal framework must be respected," he emphasizes to ARD.
Illegal migration, terrorism, organized crime
After the Schengen rules were revised, EU member states will be allowed to impose border controls for up to three years in the future. This is the price of the unresolved migration problem, explains MEP Pascal Arrimont, who represents the German-speaking community of Belgium in the European Parliament, to the ARD.
"In my opinion, illegal migration is a very urgent problem that we need to solve very quickly." However, Arrimont does not see the solution in the internal, but in the external borders of Europe.
Such internal checks must be approached carefully, appeals Lena Dupont, spokesperson for internal affairs of the CDU/CSU group in the European Parliament. She is also very concerned about the state of the free movement of people and goods. "If we want to restore the full functionality of Schengen, we must pay particular attention to the reasons that the member states give for the re-introduction of temporary controls," ARD quotes her as saying.
And these are, above all, illegal migration and terrorism. "But also organized crime - it poses a threat to internal security", says Dupont.
That is why the EU must quickly develop new internal security strategies and equip the relevant bodies with the necessary competences and resources - such as Frontex or Europol. But the Common European Asylum System must also be implemented as planned - by June 2026, the ARD also points out.